The Singapore Mosque Korban Committee (JKMS) for 2021 has announced that a modified qurban ritual will be held this year, as the importation of livestock into Singapore would be challenging during the pandemic.
This year, mosques will again facilitate arrangements for Muslims who wish to perform Korban during Eid Al-Adha by having the ritual performed in Australia, after which the meat is chilled and shipped to Singapore. Mosques will distribute the meat to individuals who have purchased sheep for the qurban ritual, and share a portion of the meat with low-income families and to the community in the days after Eid. Safe management measures will be strictly observed during the entire exercise.
JKMS conducted an open request for proposal (RFP) exercise to recruit suitable approved vendors. The final list of qurban vendors are approved by the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (Muis) and the Singapore Food Agency (SFA). These vendors have been assessed to have full compliance to all regulatory requirements for the import of meat products, Muis said.
The committee noted that modifications to the traditional ritual had been very well-received by the Muslim community in 2020. In 2020, 42 mosques offered the modified qurban ritual and services, offering up to 100 sheep each, with the sheep priced between S$300 and S$330. All participating mosques adopted standard operating procedures, observed high hygiene standards, staggered distribution and collection slots, and adhered to prevailing safety measures.
More details for qurban registration this year will be released in the first week of June 2021.